8 comments:

I totally get the love of the book. My house is jammed packed with them and magazines. But there's a point where you can't jam anything more into a tiny 4 room cottage and shed. I'm pretty lazy at using the local library too. So We have gone the electronic readers, with an ipad. Now they don't feel the same as books but they do have their advantages, you don't need the torch under the covers ;) You don't have to search all the bookshops for books they don't stock. With places like Amazon Kobo and a few other ebook sellers it's instant download :) I don't have to find a space for those books to go on my bookcase either. I can just buy the 'special' books my kids love like Andy Griffiths ;) And some of the nicest ebooks are very interactive so my kids get to immerse themselves even more into the story.But then I am a gadget queen! But I've used my ipad everyday since I've bought it and have to fight the kids for it too. Books, web, videos, images, word processing and apps all in one small package.

I can't see that electronic books are healthy either. We seem to have lost the fear of cancer from our screens but does that mean that there will not be health problems associated down the track. And you just can't cuddle a computer can you?! Cherrie

Oh I know what you are saying Tas. But I went a bought and ebook reader. So I buy real books - the ones that I HAVE to have and hold and read again. And then the books I that I think might be interesting I download. Of course now I have a list of book I have downloaded that I want to buy because i might want to read them again and I NEED to hold them!!

I didn't think I would ever use an e-book reader, but I cam across a book that was online only. There were 3 in the series at that stage. I was hooked. Once had an iphone, there was a whole world of reading convenience. Now I can squeeze reading in anywhere, anytime, without lugging heavy bulky books with me. In the doctors waiting room, waiting for the after school pickup. Waiting for the late night teens party pickup. All those times where you sit and twiddle your thumbs impatiently thinking I wish I remembered to bring a book. Now I always have one with me.Real life books still have their place. There are a LOT of them in my house. I wouldn't trust an electronic source to be forever, but e-books have their place too. One day they will get you too.. you won't be able to resist drawing towards the light forever...it beckons...read me... you know you want to...MWAHAHAHAHA

So, so true Tas. We are a huge book family here too (well, excluding DH). In fact my mum has been going through my old books, and even some of hers to bring up for my 7 year old who has the reading bug. I do agree that they take up room, but we did just re-arrange DS's bedroom to fit a bookcase in it. We prune the bookcase occasionally, and hand the books on to others to enjoy.I personally read ones that my mum has bought (she is my personal library), but I could never succumb to an e-reader, I like to hold my books, and the screens just hurt my eyes too much.

I have a hard time imagining myself reading an electronic book. As a child I would scour the library and run my hands over the pages, smell that book smell and get lost. I want the same for my child I guess. She also has vision issues so, I wonder if the screen would hard on her eyes. It's an interesting question in these electronic times.